Repair piece for boots and shoes



May 17 1927.

R. M. ELMSTROM REPAIR PIECE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Jm. I 22, 1926 ways Patented May 17, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,628,831 PATENT OFFICE- ROBERT M. ELMSTROM, 0E MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ISTANDABDMiAN- UFAGTURING 00., 0F MALDEN, .MASSAGHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS.

REPAIR PIECE FOR BOOTS- AND SHOES.

Application filed January 22, 1926. Serial No. 83,123.

This invention relates to apiece of leather or the like prepared for sale to boot and shoe repairmen for putting into the heel of any kind of foot wear outside the stocking, to replacethe. original liningsat the heel of the shoe and present a neat and unwrinkledsurface for the heel of the footto engage and at the same time provide a lining which will give longer wear than usual. The invention involves a piece of leather cut out integrally of such shapethat it can be bent up into the form of the lining of the heel of the shoe and will involve no sewing in the sole part of the heel either along the middle or along the sides as has been usual heretofore and no seam or extra thickness along the middle of the heel. The avoidance of the use of stitches in this article reduces the cost of manufacture and permits of the sale of the article through a much wider market than has been the case heretofore. Economy in the use of the leather is another object of the invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a flat view of the blank of which the article is made in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the complete article;

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation.

Shoe repairmen now have heel lining pieces which are made up of two piecesof leather, one piece rectangular in form to go around the back of the heel and the other piece semi-circular at one end and rectangular at the other to .constitute the rearend of the lining for the bottom of the heel. These two are sewed together around the edge of the latter one so as to come into the form which the article is to maintain. These are put into the heels of shoes when they come in for repair and they provide a smooth surface not only on the bottom of the heel where the greatest pressure is received but on the sides of the heel where a great deal of wear takes place. They are intendedto take the place of the original lining at that point which often gets worn and then rolls up and forms a very rough place. This invention is designed to take the place of this form of heel lining and involves several improvements thereof as stated above.

Tteferring to the drawings in detail, the original blank of comparatively soft leather shown in Fig. 1 is outv out in a single piece. This blank forms the bottom .of'the heel 10 of the same general shape as above described and of the natural shape to fit in the bottom of-the heel of the shoe. It will be seen that this is cut out in the rear on a semi-circle 11 or substantially so. At the sides there I They bling them and do not have to be sewed together. These are important economies in manufacture. 1

On the side piece 12 I leave a curved edge 14 on the inner side to fit around the rear of the bottom piece 10 when in use and 'not leave a space. -This side piece 12 is used to be pasted or glued to the other side piece 13 whichit overlaps and covers it at the edge atthe skived edges. -The joint 16 is located at the side and not at the rear. Therefore, it holds the heel in the shape in which it is intended to apply it to the shoe. Two notches or guide surfaces 17 are provided for locating the piece in the right position. This piece in flat conditionconstitutes the complete article as sold to the repairmen. It is entirely without stitches as so sold. I

To put it in,,the two side pieces 12 and 13 are bent upwardly along the. lines 15 at which they are connected with the flat bottom piece 10 so that they come into vertical position. Then the side 12 is bent around the semi-circle 11 to substantially coincide therewith and preferably to lie at the back ofthe leather along said semicircle so as not to expose the joint. Their rear edges are skived and brought together into butting relationship at 16, preferably, and pasted'or glued thereto, these parts at that time being in vertical position. It partakes of the shape of the heel, being made, of course,

in a few different sizes and it is of such shape that a plurality of these blanks can be nested together and packed conveniently if it is desired to sell them in this form.

When the repairman gets the flat blank or the shaped one he cements the skived edges 16 and then places it in a shoe and pastes or cements the outside surfaces of the two pieces 12 and 18 and the bottom surface of the bottom piece 10 which are flesh surfaces preferably, to the sides and bottom of the shoe at the heel. Then, if desired, he can finish off the top by sewing around itas he would naturally do for the purpose of making a good appearance. This greatly reduces the difliculty of his Work and enables him to produce the whole job at much less expense than has been the case heretofore, both on account of the fact that the article as it comes to him is more nearly complete than it has been before and is less expensive and also on account of the fact that there is less labor for him in putting it on.

The advantages for the wearer are that, being pasted all around directly to the inside surface of the heel of the shoe, it will stay permanently in position. It has no stitches to unravel with wear during walking and taking off and putting on the shoe.

This invention therefore involves advantages to the manufacturer, to the repairmen and to the user which have not been obtained by the constructions heretofore on the market. l o

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention, I am aware all the details of construction herein shown 1 and described, but what I do claim is 1- As an article of manufacture, a repair piece for a boot or shoe comprising apiece of leather having the shape of the bottom of the heel and provided with a pair of side pieces integrally connected therewith along its sides and bent up at right angles along the sides of the bottom piece and'then curved around the back and connected together at one side, one of them being longer than the other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ROBERT M. ELMSTROM. 

